# Notes for Mac > Markdown vaults, linked notes and encrypted notebooks beyond Apple Notes. From dockpicks (https://dockpicks.com/), a hand-picked, independent directory of Mac apps. Web page: https://dockpicks.com/notes/ Group: Work. 7 apps, listed best first. Prices are the vendor's wording, checked October 2026, and can change. Built into macOS: Apple Notes. Apple Notes is already a strong default: it has folders, tags, Smart Folders, checklists, tables, shared notes, audio recording with live transcripts and inline math, and it syncs through iCloud. Most people can stop there. Look elsewhere if you want notes as plain Markdown files you own, linked notes for research, end-to-end encrypted notes on non-Apple devices, or a team wiki. ## 1. Obsidian Linked Markdown notes stored as plain files on your Mac - Price: Free; Sync $4/month billed yearly - Pricing model: Free. No payment needed for the full app. - Usable without paying: Yes - Open source: No - Website: https://obsidian.md/ - Facts checked: 2026-10-24 - On dockpicks: https://dockpicks.com/notes/#obsidian A note-taking app that keeps your notes as local plain-text Markdown files and lets you link them together. Thousands of community plugins and themes extend it. Our take: The best pick if you want to own your notes as files and build a linked knowledge base. Sync and Publish are optional paid services; you can sync the folder yourself instead. It takes some setup and plugin-hunting to make it your own. ## 2. Bear Polished Markdown notes for Mac, iPhone and iPad - Price: Free; Pro $2.99/month or $29.99/year - Pricing model: Free tier. A usable free version, with a paid upgrade for more. - Usable without paying: Yes - Open source: No - Developer: Shiny Frog Ltd. - Website: https://bear.app/ - Mac App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bear-markdown-notes/id1091189122 - Built-in may be enough: Apple Notes already covers what most people use this for - Facts checked: 2026-10-24 - On dockpicks: https://dockpicks.com/notes/#bear A Markdown note app for Mac, iPhone and iPad with themes, document scanning and several export formats. Bear Pro adds iCloud sync and search inside PDFs and images. Our take: A nicer Markdown writing experience than Apple Notes, for people who live on Apple devices. The free tier is local-only; syncing between devices needs Pro. There is no Windows or Android version. ## 3. Joplin Open-source notes with end-to-end encrypted sync - Price: Free; Cloud from €28.69/year (shown in EUR) - Pricing model: Free. No payment needed for the full app. - Usable without paying: Yes - Open source: Yes, AGPL-3.0-or-later (https://github.com/laurent22/joplin) - Website: https://joplinapp.org/ - Facts checked: 2026-10-24 - On dockpicks: https://dockpicks.com/notes/#joplin An open-source Markdown note app for macOS, Windows, Linux, Android and iOS. It syncs through Joplin Cloud, Dropbox or OneDrive, with end-to-end encryption. Our take: The best free, cross-platform choice if you want encrypted sync and no lock-in. You can sync through your own Dropbox or OneDrive at no cost. The interface is functional rather than pretty. ## 4. Notion Notes, docs and databases in one shared workspace - Price: Free; Plus €9.50/seat/month (shown in EUR) - Pricing model: Free tier. A usable free version, with a paid upgrade for more. - Usable without paying: Yes - Open source: No - Website: https://www.notion.com/ - Facts checked: 2026-10-24 - On dockpicks: https://dockpicks.com/notes/#notion A workspace app that combines pages, databases and wikis, with AI search and agents. It has a desktop app for Apple silicon and Intel Macs. Our take: Best for teams and anyone who wants notes, task tables and wikis in one place. It is cloud-based and can feel heavy for quick personal notes, and your data lives on Notion's servers. ## 5. Craft Native, polished documents and notes with sharing - Price: Free; Plus $95.99/year on the Mac App Store - Pricing model: Free tier. A usable free version, with a paid upgrade for more. - Usable without paying: Yes - Open source: No - Developer: Craft Docs Limited - Website: https://www.craft.do/ - Mac App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/craft-notes-documents-ai/id1487937127 - Facts checked: 2026-10-24 - On dockpicks: https://dockpicks.com/notes/#craft A native (non-Electron) app for notes, documents, tasks and whiteboards, with daily notes, templates, AI writing help and web publishing. It runs on Mac, iPhone, iPad, Windows and the web. Our take: A good fit if you want good-looking structured documents you can share as web pages. The free plan caps you at 1,500 blocks, so regular use means a subscription. ## 6. Standard Notes End-to-end encrypted notes that sync everywhere - Price: Free; Productivity $90/year - Pricing model: Free tier. A usable free version, with a paid upgrade for more. - Usable without paying: Yes - Open source: Yes, AGPL-3.0 (https://github.com/standardnotes/app) - Website: https://standardnotes.com/ - Facts checked: 2026-10-24 - On dockpicks: https://dockpicks.com/notes/#standard-notes An open-source, end-to-end encrypted note app with sync across unlimited devices on web, desktop and mobile. Paid plans add rich note types, spreadsheets and folders. Our take: Pick it when privacy is the priority and you need notes on Windows, Linux or Android too. The free plan is plain text only, and the paid plans are pricey compared with the others here. ## 7. Logseq Open-source outliner for linked, block-based notes - Price: Free - Pricing model: Free. No payment needed for the full app. - Usable without paying: Yes - Open source: Yes, AGPL-3.0 (https://github.com/logseq/logseq) - Website: https://logseq.com/ - Facts checked: 2026-10-24 - On dockpicks: https://dockpicks.com/notes/#logseq A privacy-first, open-source outliner for knowledge management, with Markdown and Org-mode files, PDF annotation, task management and plugins. Our take: Good for people who think in outlines and daily journals and want local files. The project is mid-transition to a new database version that is still in beta, with its new sync in alpha, so expect some churn.